
	Where results make sense

Topic: Swiss Guard

Related Topics

Military of the Vatican City

Guard

Iraqi Special Republican Guard

Swiss Mercenaries

Imperial Guard

Sede Vacante

Vatican City

Popemobile

Praetorian Guard

French Republican Guard

US Coast Guard

Military of Switzerland

Colours, standards and guidons

Old Swiss Confederacy

Royal Guard

	Vatican Art Walks: The Swiss Guard (courtesy of Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-08)
		The Swiss constitution, as amended in 1874, forbade all military capitulations and recruitment of Swiss by foreign powers, although volunteering in foreign armies continued until prohibited outright, in 1927.
		The Swiss Guard (Ger: Schweizergarde) as part of the Military of the Vatican City is an exception to the Swiss rulings of 1874 and 1927.
		Today the Swiss Guard is not considered to belong to any larger force, but is instead the army of the sovereign state of the Vatican.
	vaticanartwalks.com /Swiss_Guard.htm (2579 words)

	Vatican (Holy See) - Swiss Guard
		The Papal Guard are the only mercenary unit permitted under Swiss law since 1859, and are the last of a long tradition of a million mercenaries in the world's armies.
		Swiss soldiers served the armies of the Papacy from the late 1300s onward, but only during the reign of Julius II (1503-13) was action taken to establish an organized unit of Swiss Guards directly under the Pope.
		Guard duty includes the bodyguard for the pontiff, the watch at the entrances to the city, the ceremonial honor guard, security at many religious and diplomatic functions, as well as information, surveillance, and similar service.
	www.allstates-flag.com /fotw/flags/va-swiss.html (1522 words)

	Swiss guards in the Vatican, Rome
		The Swiss Guards give a touch of color to St. Peter's Square: in their Renaissance costumes, with puffed sleeves and knicker-bockers striped red, blue and yellow, they stand on either side of the basilica, guarding the gates into Vatican City.
		As well as their everyday costumes, the Swiss Guards have suits of armor, with swords weighing thirty kilos, but these are used only for escorting the Pope during special ceremonies in St. Peter's.
		During the Sack of Rome in 1527, when Charles V of Spain devastated the city with his army of "lanzichelecchi", it was only the quick reaction of the Swiss Guards which enabled Pope Clement VII to take refuge in Castel Sant'Angelo; 147 Swiss soldiers died in the fighting.
	www.inforoma.it /feature.php?lookup=swiss (394 words)

	Soldier of the Swiss Guard - Picture - MSN Encarta
		A soldier of the Swiss Guard, the papal guard of the Vatican in Rome, stands at attention.
		The Swiss Guard dates to the early 16th century, when Pope Julius II recruited Swiss mercenary soldiers—famed for their fighting prowess—to provide for the safety of the pope.
		It is believed that the uniforms worn by the Swiss Guard were designed by Michelangelo.
	encarta.msn.com /media_121618714/Soldier_of_the_Swiss_Guard.html (70 words)

	CNS Story: Swiss Guard: Keeping the peace and protecting the pope for 500 years
		The last time the Swiss Guard ever lost to an invader was in 1798 when Napoleon swept through, disarmed and disbanded the corps and abducted two popes in two years.
		After that, the guard's record is impeccable, keeping popes and papal territory safe and protected since their troops regrouped in 1800.
		It was an undercover Swiss Guard who helped shield Pope John Paul II during the assassination attempt against his life May 13, 1981, in St. Peter's Square.
	www.catholicnews.com /data/stories/cns/swiss.htm (962 words)

	RTE News - Swiss Guards celebrate 500 years
		In the 15th and 16th centuries, thousands of young Swiss mercenaries enrolled in the armies of the fiefdoms, kingdoms and city states that were constantly at war in France, Italy and Germany during the early Renaissance.
		Under Louis XIV, the Swiss troops were organized in two categories, with the Swiss Guard forming part of the King's military household, separate from twelve ordinary Swiss regiments of the line.
		The Swiss Guards were brigaded with the Regiment of French Guards and were in peace time stationed in barracks on the outskirts of Paris.
	www.rte.ie /news/2006/0122/swissguard.html?rss (1024 words)

	Should the Swiss Papal Guard be abolished? (eng, NZZ Online)
		Criticism of the Swiss Guard is rare indeed as many consider it a timeless symbol of the Vatican State and of Swiss tradition.
		The guards, who are obliged to respect an ancient medieval rule that prevents them from turning their backs to the pope, were evidently unable to make out the man in the crowd in time.
		Many Swiss consider this "monopoly" to be an honour and a sign of recognition on the part of the pope towards his soldiers who have demonstrated such tremendous loyalty over the centuries.
	www.nzz.ch /2006/06/06/eng/article6613155.html (817 words)

	The Swiss Guard - History
		Already in the 13th and 14th centuries, after the Swiss Cantons had become independent, many of their men were fighting in Germany and Italy and as the Cantons were unable to prevent this type of emigration, they sought at least to organize it.
		When, at the end of the 15th century, with Charles VIII the Italian Wars began, the Swiss were described by the Italian historian, Guicciardini, as "the nerve and the hope of an army".
		The Swiss Guard, standing firm at the foot of the obelisk (now in St. Peter's Square, but then near the German cemetery within the Vatican close to the Basilica), together with the few remnants of the Roman troops, resisted desperately.
	www.vatican.va /roman_curia/swiss_guard/swissguard/storia_en.htm (1513 words)

	Swiss Chocolate World Tour Harmony Sweets
		The Swiss Guard is one of the smallest armies in the world with the unusual challenge of providing protection to the Roman Catholic pontiff in addition to upholding a tradition of ceremony.
		Each guard's civil authorities must be able to testify as to his high character and involvement in the community.
		A guard must be able to speak Italian, know martial arts, be a man of Swiss nationality who is single, under 30 years old and stands at least 5-feet, 8-inches tall.
	www.harmonysweets.com /harmonysweets/worldtour_switzerland.jsp (574 words)

	Swiss mercenary flags
		The Swiss Guards Regiment in France (which was massacred in the August 1792 assault on the Tuilleries, an event commemorated by the Lion monument in Lucerne) had a rainbow design of fl, blue, yellow and red rays.
		It consist of the Swiss white cross extended to the edges, the arms of Colonel Pfyffer d'Altishofen in the 1st quarter, the arms of Pius XII (1939-1958) in the 4th, and horizontal rays in the colors of the Guard uniform
		The units flew their own Swiss flags, were officered only by Swiss, the men were subject to Swiss law, and Switzerland reserved the right forbid mercenary regiments from participating in campaigns which might bring them into battle with other Swiss units.
	www.fotw.net /flags/ch-merce.html (708 words)

	<I>Inside the Vatican</I><BR>The Swiss Guards (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-08)
		They are Swiss Guards, and for the last 500 years, they have been the bodyguards of the pope.
		Swiss Guards stand tall in their swearing-in garb of armor and plume.
		The Swiss Guard was established by Pope Julius II in the early 16th century as a permanent Swiss contingent in the papal forces.
	news.nationalgeographic.com /news/2001/11/1118_vaticanswiss.html (472 words)

	Zenit News Agency - The World Seen From Rome
		Swiss Guards also travel everywhere with the Holy Father; the plainclothes bodyguards you see around the pope can consist of various agents, depending on what country the pope is visiting, but there are always two Swiss Guard officers among them.
		The Swiss infantry were the first foot soldiers since the fall of ancient Rome to be able to defeat mounted cavalry and were especially good at defensive formations.
		Guards must be of a certain height, have already completed the compulsory military service in Switzerland, be single -- if they are not officers -- and be Catholics with a good reputation in their parishes.
	www.zenit.org /english/visualizza.phtml?sid=83604 (1140 words)

	CNS STORY: Swiss Guard to mark 500th anniversary with stamps, Masses, march
		The Swiss Guard officially turns 500 Jan. 22, the anniversary of the arrival in Rome of 150 Swiss soldiers recruited to serve and protect Pope Julius II.
		In addition to the history of the Swiss Guard, the book includes a chapter on the rules governing the recruitment, training and discipline of the corps.
		The march was timed to allow the former guards to participate in the key moment of the anniversary celebration -- a memorial Mass and swearing in of new members on the May 6 anniversary of the fall of 147 guards, killed in action in 1527 while protecting Pope Clement VII during the sack of Rome.
	www.catholicnews.com /data/stories/cns/0506680.htm (756 words)

	Swiss watchers \| Special reports \| Guardian Unlimited
		They are members of the Swiss Guard - often referred to as the papal guards or Swiss mercenaries - an elite, company-sized military force that has defended a succession of popes for more than five centuries and not always without bloodshed.
		The guards are a favorite subject of photographers and tourists, and their quiet presence is an impressive show of force much like the US marines at the White House and the various regiments that guard Buckingham Palace.
		Instantly, a plainclothes Swiss Guard officer rushed to the wounded pontiff's aid and shielded him with his own body as the vehicle raced to the hospital.
	www.guardian.co.uk /pope/story/0,12272,1452750,00.html (817 words)

	Swiss Papal Guard Stamps - Joint Issue Switzerland - Vatican
		From the time of the Middle Ages, Swiss pike men fought as mercenaries in the armies of many European states under treaties with the various Swiss cantons.
		This unit is the only modern survival of the Swiss mercenary tradition, as the Swiss Constitution of 1874 prohibits the enlistment of Swiss citizens in the forces of foreign powers with the exception of the Holy See, and are the last of a long tradition of a million mercenaries in the world's armies.
		The painter Rudolf Mirer was born in 1937.
	www.artonstamps.org /Countries/Switzerland/swiss-guard/swiss-guard.htm (746 words)

	Swiss Guard turns 500 - World - The Washington Times, America's Newspaper (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-08)
		The Swiss Guard, the pope's personal bodyguard and an unusual relic of Europe's troubled, war-torn past, is about to celebrate its 500th anniversary.
		Driven from their impoverished, Alpine cantons in the 15th and 16th centuries, thousands of young Swiss mercenaries enrolled in the armies of the fiefdoms, kingdoms and city states that were constantly at war in France, Italy and Germany during the early Renaissance.
		The Swiss Guard's greatest moment of glory probably was on May 6, 1527, when all but 42 of 189 soldiers died fighting off the armies of Charles V, which attacked and overran the Vatican.
	washingtontimes.com /world/20060121-112941-8973r.htm (545 words)

	USATODAY.com - Pope meets Swiss Guards before swearing-in (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-08)
		The guards — outfitted in their trademark halberds, crimson-plumed helmets and gold and blue uniforms — provide ceremonial guard duty, assist at Vatican functions and help protect the pope.
		The Swiss Guards were involved in one of the Vatican's greatest scandals in recent years.
		The guard's mother has denied the Vatican's version of events, saying her son was wrongly accused and was the victim of a plot.
	www.usatoday.com /news/world/2005-05-06-vatican-guards_x.htm (603 words)

	CNN - Guard who turned over Swiss banking files seeks protection in U.S. Senate visit - May 7, 1997
		Meili has lost his job as a security guard at the Zurich branch of the Union Bank of Switzerland -- effective at the end of April -- for something many in the world think was noble, even heroic.
		Swiss law forbids destruction of documents that might relate to World War II era investigations, but UBS claimed the documents were not related to victims of the Holocaust.
		Meili's presence in New York is of particular interest to Edward Fagan, the lead attorney in a pending class-action lawsuit against the Swiss banks for withholding funds from descendants of depositors who died in the Holocaust.
	edition.cnn.com /US/9705/07/swiss.guard/index.html (890 words)

	The Swiss Guard celebrates its 500th year anniversary 2006 by Louis Siqueira Campos @ TraditionInAction.org
		The Swiss Guard is undoubtedly a picturesque institution, with their vibrant multi-colored uniforms and banners, and their shining armor and weapons.
		The Swiss Guard, standing firm at the foot of the obelisk [now in St. Peter's Square, but then near the German cemetery passing the Vatican’s gate, at the left of the Columns of Bernini], together with the few remnants of the Roman troops, resisted desperately.
		The Swiss Guard is the last survival of the weapon-bearing military units of the Vatican that represent the Militant Church.
	www.traditioninaction.org /History/A_006_SwissGuards_Siqueira.html (1624 words)

	Commentary: More questions in Swiss Guard murders
		So read the headlines of all of Italy’s newspapers 24 hours after a German paper reported that Alois Estermann, the newly named Swiss Guards commander who was murdered on May 4, had been a mole for the former communist country inside the Vatican.
		Swiss bishops, who are charged with organizing the 100-man army and selecting its leaders, reportedly have already begun looking at future changes and, according to the secretary of the episcopal conference, Msgr.
		Not a few church officials quietly voiced embarrassment that in a post-Vatican II church, the Swiss bishops’ main criterion for a new commander was that the candidate be a nobleman.
	www.natcath.com /NCR_Online/archives/060598/060598d.htm (869 words)

	Vatican - Swiss Guard (Part II) (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-08)
		The usage of this flag of the Swiss Guard in 1978 is insecure.
		The Vatican Swiss Guard regimental flag used during (part of) John Paul II's reign, under the command of a previous colonel.
		During the next day, the sacco di Roma 1998, the old Swiss Guard flag with the badge of Col. Bush-Binz was used.
	fotw.vexillum.com /flags/va-swis2.html (1154 words)

	Vatican - Swiss Guard (Part I)
		Considering only those Colonels after 1905 (when the current Vatican Swiss Guard flag pattern was designed) and the popes from the same period, we can list all flags that (theoretically) existed:.
		The image is simply shown the expected new version of the Papal Guard flag: I.e., identical to the previous Swiss Guard Colors for John Paul II but with Benedict XVI's arms replacing John Paul II's.
		Note that the side areas of the shield are both or, and the central one is gules, whereas previously sent images shown different color patterns.
	flagspot.net /flags/va-swiss.html (1868 words)

	CNN - Pope expresses sadness over Swiss Guard slaying - May 5, 1998
		"It is with great pain that I learned of the unbearable news of the violent death of your son, the commander of the Swiss Guard, and his dear wife," the pope said in a telegram to Estermann's Swiss parents.
		Command of the guard, which is restricted to Swiss citizens who are Roman Catholics, was traditionally seen more as an honor than a financial reward.
		Estermann had been with the guard since 1980 and was there when the pope was shot and wounded in an attempt on his life in St. Peter's Square in May 1981.
	www.cnn.com /WORLD/europe/9805/05/vatican.death.update/index.html (709 words)

	The Swiss Guard Review \| The Swiss Guard \| Holy See (Vatican City) - RealTravel (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-08)
		The Swiss Guard has been the military unit in charge of Vatican City security since 1505, the year in which it was founded by Pope Julius II.
		Soldiers have to be male, Swiss and between the ages of 19 and 30.
		Nowadays, the Swiss Guard is mostly symbolic in character.
	realtravel.com /holy_see_vatican_city-reviews-a1831191.html (593 words)

Try your search on: Qwika (all wikis)